BPSC CCE Prelims
Current Affairs Previous Year Questions (PYQs)
Solved Previous Year Questions (PYQs) for Current Affairs in BPSC CCE Prelims in English & Hindi Medium.
Chapter Breakdown: Scroll →
Who was the candidate of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) in 15th Presidential Election in India?
Detailed Explanation:
The 15th Presidential Election of India (2022) saw a contest between the NDA candidate Droupadi Murmu and the UPA-backed candidate Yashwant Sinha.
- Key Fact: Yashwant Sinha, former Finance and External Affairs Minister, was the joint opposition candidate supported by UPA and other parties.
- Therefore, Yashwant Sinha was the UPA candidate in the 15th Presidential Election, making Option 4 the correct answer.
Who has received the International Booker Prize for her novel, Tomb of Sand (Ret Samadhi)?
Detailed Explanation:
The International Booker Prize 2022 was awarded to Geetanjali Shree for her novel Tomb of Sand (Ret Samadhi), translated by Daisy Rockwell.
- Historic Achievement: First novel in any Indian language to win the International Booker Prize, originally written in Hindi.
- Prize Details: The £50,000 award is shared equally between the author and translator.
- Therefore, Geetanjali Shree is the correct answer, making Option 4 correct.
Hrithik Anand from Bihar has won which medal for India at the 24th Summer Deaf Badminton Olympics held in Brazil?
Detailed Explanation:
Hrithik Anand from Hajipur, Bihar, won India's first gold medal at the 24th Summer Deaflympics in badminton held in Brazil.
- Historic Achievement: He defeated players from Brazil, China, Turkey, France, and Japan in the final to clinch the gold medal.
- Therefore, Hrithik Anand won the gold medal, making Option 4 the correct answer.
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Which country's former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot dead during the election campaign in July 2022?
Detailed Explanation:
Shinzo Abe, Japan's longest-serving Prime Minister, was assassinated on July 8, 2022, during an election campaign speech in Nara.
- Key Event: Abe was shot with a homemade firearm by Tetsuya Yamagami while campaigning for upper house elections.
- Significance: The assassination shocked the world given Japan's strict gun control laws and low crime rates.
- Therefore, Japan is the correct answer, making Option 1 correct.
The UN General Assembly has adopted an India-sponsored resolution on multilingualism. Which language is mentioned in that for the first time?
Detailed Explanation:
The UN General Assembly adopted an India-sponsored resolution on multilingualism that mentioned Hindi for the first time.
- Historic Milestone: This resolution explicitly referenced Hindi as one of the world's most widely spoken languages, marking its formal recognition in UN multilingualism discourse.
- India's Initiative: India's Permanent Representative emphasized multilingualism as a core UN principle, promoting Hindi's use in official communications.
- Therefore, Hindi was mentioned for the first time in this resolution, making Option 3 the correct answer.
Who presided an emergency session of the General Assembly to discuss Russia's military operations in Ukraine?
Detailed Explanation:
The 11th Emergency Special Session of the UN General Assembly was convened on 28 February 2022 to address Russia's military operations in Ukraine.
- Abdulla Shahid (Maldives) was the 76th President of UNGA (2021–2022) and presided over this emergency session.
- UNSC Procedural Vote: The Security Council voted to convene the session without veto power; India, China, and UAE abstained.
- Therefore, Abdulla Shahid presided over the session, making Option 4 the correct answer.
India evacuated people as part of which mission to bring Indians from war-hit Ukraine, in February 2022?
Detailed Explanation:
Operation Ganga was India's evacuation mission launched in February 2022 to rescue Indian nationals stranded in Ukraine following the Russian invasion.
- Mission Scope: Evacuated over 22,000 Indians, mostly students, through neighboring countries (Romania, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia) as Ukrainian airspace was closed.
- Implementation: Multiple Air India flights and four Union Ministers were deployed on the ground to coordinate the operation.
- Therefore, Operation Ganga was the Ukraine evacuation mission, making Option 3 the correct answer.
Recently China has claimed rights over territories around the 'Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary' claiming it as a 'disputed region'. This Wildlife Sanctuary is located in
Detailed Explanation:
The Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected area located in eastern Bhutan, near the border with China's Tibet region.
- China's Claim (June 2020): China staked claim over this sanctuary at the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Council, asserting it lies in disputed China-Bhutan territory.
- International Recognition: The sanctuary is internationally recognized as part of Bhutan's sovereign territory, though China maintains the boundary has never been formally delimited.
- Therefore, the Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Bhutan, making Option 1 the correct answer.
Which Indian State/UT has been chosen to host the G20 Summit in 2023?
Detailed Explanation:
India hosted the G20 Summit in 2023 during its presidency, with various meetings distributed across multiple states and UTs.
- G20 Meetings in J&K: Jammu and Kashmir hosted key working group meetings in May 2023 to showcase its tourism and cultural heritage.
- Main Summit Venue: The G20 Leaders' Summit (September 9-10, 2023) was held in New Delhi at Bharat Mandapam.
- Therefore, Jammu and Kashmir was chosen to host G20 meetings during India's 2023 presidency, making Option 2 the correct answer.
With reference to the UN peacekeeping operations, consider the following statements :
- UN peacekeepers can use force only for their self-defense.
- Peacekeeping operations can only be withdrawn by a resolution by the UN Security Council.
- USA is the largest budget contributor to the UN peacekeeping operations.
Which of the statements given above is/are above correct?
Detailed Explanation:
UN peacekeeping operations follow specific mandates on use of force, withdrawal procedures, and budget contributions by member states.
- Statement 1 is Incorrect: UN peacekeepers can use force for self-defense, defending the mandate, and protecting civilians under threat, not just self-defense.
- Statement 2 is Correct: Only the UN Security Council can authorize and withdraw peacekeeping operations through formal resolutions.
- Statement 3 is Correct: The USA contributes approximately 27.89% of the UN peacekeeping budget, making it the largest contributor.
- Therefore, statements 2 and 3 are correct, making Option 1 the correct answer.
Which country has recently signed a free trade agreement (FTA) with the United Arab Emirates?
Detailed Explanation:
In 2022, Israel signed a historic Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United Arab Emirates, marking the first such agreement between Israel and an Arab nation.
- Israel-UAE FTA: Signed in May 2022, this agreement followed the Abraham Accords (2020) and aimed to eliminate tariffs on 96% of goods.
- Australia: Signed an FTA with the UAE in 2024, not during the period referenced by this question.
- Italy and Pakistan: Neither country has signed a recent FTA with the UAE during this timeframe.
- Therefore, Israel signed the landmark FTA with the UAE, making Option 4 the correct answer.
Which country launched its first satellite 'Arktika-M' to monitor the climate of the Arctic?
Detailed Explanation:
The question asks about the country that launched the Arktika-M satellite to monitor the Arctic climate. This is a current affairs question related to space technology and environmental monitoring.
- China: While China has an active space program and Arctic interests, it did not launch the Arktika-M satellite.
- Russia: In February 2021, Russia launched Arktika-M aboard a Soyuz-2.1b rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome to monitor the Arctic's climate and environment, using a highly elliptical orbit for continuous observation of northern latitudes.
- India: India's space missions focus on different areas; it has not launched Arctic monitoring satellites.
- Japan: Japan has earth observation satellites but did not launch Arktika-M.
- Therefore, Russia launched the Arktika-M satellite to monitor Arctic climate, making Option 2 the correct answer.
Covishield, the COVID vaccine of India which is approved by WHO, is manufactured by
Detailed Explanation:
Covishield, the WHO-approved COVID-19 vaccine, is manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII), Pune. It is the locally produced version of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine (ChAdOx1 nCoV-19).
Bharat Biotech produces Covaxin, Panacea Biotec manufactures Sputnik V under license, and Zydus Cadila developed ZyCoV-D—none produce Covishield.
Therefore, Serum Institute is the correct manufacturer, making Option 1 the correct answer.
What is the length of the Atal Tunnel, Rohtang. Himachal Pradesh?
Detailed Explanation:
The Atal Tunnel (formerly Rohtang Tunnel) in Himachal Pradesh is the world's longest highway tunnel above 10,000 feet, connecting Manali to Lahaul-Spiti Valley. Inaugurated on 3 October 2020, it has a total length of 9.02 km.
This strategic all-weather tunnel reduces travel time by about 4–5 hours and ensures year-round connectivity to the border areas, previously cut off during winter months.
Therefore, the correct length is 9.02 km, making Option 2 the correct answer.
In which year was the Railway Budget merged with the General Budget in India?
Detailed Explanation:
The Railway Budget was presented separately from the General Budget since 1924 following the Acworth Committee recommendations. This practice was aimed at giving special attention to railway finances and insulating them from general revenue pressures.
In 2017, the Modi government merged the Railway Budget with the General Budget, ending the 92-year-old tradition. This merger was implemented to ensure better resource allocation and unified financial planning.
Therefore, the Railway Budget was merged with the General Budget in 2017, making Option 3 the correct answer.